"A hero hides best when he acts like a simple man. But even simple men can change destiny with a single decision."
Kuoh woke up every morning with its usual calm. No one suspected that, amidst school uniforms and reports of unsubmitted homework, something was brewing in the shadows.
Issei Hyoudou had been missing from school for seven days. To some, he was just another irresponsible student. To others, the classic pervert avoiding punishment for spying on the president of the swimming club.
But if anyone had followed his steps, they would have discovered that he hadn't been playing video games or dreaming of harems.
He had been building an empire.
In a rented room on the other side of the city—minimalist, cold, unadorned—a high-end laptop hummed relentlessly. On the screen, windows piled up with stock market charts, cryptocurrency movements, capital flows.
With focused eyes, calculating with surgical precision, Issei operated as if his life depended on it. In his other life, he had squandered a fortune, yes. But he also learned how to manage it. He learned when to invest, how to detect patterns, and—more importantly—how to use his last name to open doors.
The Hyoudou family has no renown in this timeline, he thought. But that can change.
He activated a network of offshore accounts, triangulated shell corporations to mask movements, and used digital identities that only a handful of hackers could trace.
Day 2. He launched a smart home services application with integrated artificial intelligence. Patented. Registered. Viral.
Day 4. He bought an abandoned lot on the outskirts of Kuoh and founded an automated recycling company with sustainable technology. The initial investment multiplied in less than 36 hours.
Day 6. He founded a financial consultancy under a false name. Advising small businesses on how to scale their profits. All online. No one saw him. No one heard him.
At dawn on the seventh day, he took off his hood, left the keyboard, and went out to the balcony with a bitter coffee. In his parents' bank account, there was already a transfer with more zeros than they could comprehend. In the name of an "Akane Foundation," in memory of a sister who no longer existed in this world.
He returned home without a word. Without boasting. As if he had only gone for a walk.
"Issei, are you feeling alright?" his mother asked, noticing his less tired, more serene face.
"Yes," he replied, with a calm smile. "I just needed some air... and to organize a few things."
The next day, the Hyoudou family woke up to a letter from the bank.
They had a new house in the upper district.
A company offered to remodel their old house at no cost.
And a full university scholarship was secured for Issei, courtesy of a private foundation.
No one suspected anything.
No one asked.
They simply accepted the miracle.
And he… returned to classes.
With a cold gaze.
A minimal smile.
And the plan just beginning.
Issei Hyoudou was dead.
But the archer... had just aimed his first arrow.